When is the right time?

Don't worry. I'm not using this forum to go on about gun rights or gun control or any other divisive argument out there. Heck, there are enough just in the world of sports to keep me busy. Read on.

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• Yes, I have my views about the Second Amendment (and the First and the Tenth and all the ones in-between and after), but we're not sharing them here. Unless the newspaper wants to pay me to, of course. I am, first and foremost, a capitalist, even before being a sports guy. This little lead-in comes on the heels of Bob Costas' Sunday night halftime talk concerning gun control (the video is available on the linkm though it loads slowly), an outside-of-the-sporting-realm lecture that has ticked off a lot of people – and emboldened others. I have my opinions on such items, but this is a forum for discussion on local sports and that's what it will remain. And that's what bothers me about what Costas did. I will defend his right to speak with every fiber of my being, whether I agree with him or not. But his choice of forum seems a bit unethical – and condescending (or is it conceited, I'm not sure – actually it's both). The ethics of the matter are simple: You are given a platform to talk about sports. That platform has made you famous and rich. People value your opinion – about sports. If you want to talk about gun control – or any other non-sports-related subject – have your agent get you on a CNN or Fox talk show – you have the juice – and talk about it. Sure, you won't make as many waves, but you can put your feelings on record. As for the condescending part, Costa seems to have assumed sports fans don't have a brain and don't have opinions on gun control or gun rights. Of course they do. Some very intelligent folks watch the NFL and also feel deeply about both sides of the issue. I'm sure they appreciated a lecture from a guy who carries a Mickey Mantle baseball card in his wallet. But Costas is paid a lot of money to share his opinion – on sports. It's when his hubris leads him to believe Mr. and Mrs. American Football Fan care what he has to say on other items, he's crossed a line. And will now be known in a lot of quarters not for his ability to describe a well-turned double play but as that "gun control guy." And that's too bad.

• By the way, feel free to disagree with me if you like. There is room for differing opinions here. And if you think it is ironic that, on a blog dedicated to sports, I've started is a discussion about the how wrong it is to inject personal views on non-sports related issues in a sports setting, I get it too. I really do.

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• Washington State: There's kind of a big game down in Pullman tonight and Christian Caple has an advance. He also has a morning post and will hold a live chat this afternoon. ... You can also win tickets to the Hardwood Classic. ... So, with all the coaching news yesterday – if you had Brett Bielema in your Arkansas coaching pool, you win – when will Colorado and California fill their vacancies? ... This just might be the best story of the day. Worth spending your time on if you care about all the coaching vacancies and the hype surrounding them.

• Gonzaga: Besides the game in Pullman tonight, there was also a matchup of local teams, with the GU women defeating Eastern in the Kennel last night. Chris Derrick was there and has this story. ... USF is probably going to be pretty good if last night's win over St. John's is any indication. ... Portland gave UNLV all it wanted last night as well.

• Preps: Basketball season hit its stride last night. Greg Lee leads the way with his coverage of Gonzaga Prep's win, part of the GSL boys' roundup. We also have a GSL girls roundup and roundups of girls and boys action from around the area.